GMAT Prep - Parallel Lines

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 215
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:07 am

GMAT Prep - Parallel Lines

by rosh26 » Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:55 pm
Thanks.
Attachments
GMAT Prep 1 (3) Parallel.JPG

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:45 pm
Thanked: 3 times

by szapiszapo » Wed Jul 02, 2008 8:02 am
with my own eyes, I would say that answer is A

algebraically, well...

statement 1 says that x > y but still <90°
the shape of the sinus curve under such conditions shows that sin(x) > sin(y)
we also know that sin=opposed side/hypotenuse (for a rectangular triangle at least) i.e. opposed side = sinus * hypothenuse

we then have opposed side = sin(x)*QP
and opposed side = sin(y)*SR

in our case, opposed side from angle x is equal to opposed side from angle y
therefore sin(x)*QP = sin(y)*SR
i.e. QP/SR = sin(y) / sin(x) < 1
i.e. QP<SR

statement 2 says that x+y>90, but you just dont know if x>y or y>x therefore it is insufficient to conclude

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3380
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:20 am
Thanked: 2256 times
Followed by:1535 members
GMAT Score:800

by lunarpower » Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:58 am
here's a way of thinking about it if you don't know trigonometry.

statement (1)
since angle X is bigger than angle Y, it follows that segment PQ is steeper (i.e., has a greater slope) than segment RS.

imagine drawing perpendiculars (which in this diagram would be vertical lines) down from P and S, and considering the right triangles thereby formed.
the vertical legs of those right triangles would have the same length, because they're drawn between the same parallel lines.
the horizontal leg of the triangle with hypotenuse PQ would be shorter, though, because the slope (= rise/run) is greater. since "rise" is identical, as just mentioned, the fact that (rise/run) is greater means that "run" must be smaller.
because the vertical legs have the same length and the horizontal leg of the left-hand triangle is shorter, it follows that the left-hand hypotenuse (i.e., PQ) is shorter.
sufficient.

(2)
this statement is symmetric in x and y, meaning that you can switch x and y without consequence.
consider two cases in which this happens: say, x = 40 and y = 60, and then x = 60 and y = 40.
in the latter case, the reasoning is the same as for statement (1); in the former case, it's the opposite, and PQ is now longer.
insufficient.

answer = a
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

--

Pueden hacerle preguntas a Ron en castellano
Potete chiedere domande a Ron in italiano
On peut poser des questions à Ron en français
Voit esittää kysymyksiä Ron:lle myös suomeksi

--

Quand on se sent bien dans un vêtement, tout peut arriver. Un bon vêtement, c'est un passeport pour le bonheur.

Yves Saint-Laurent

--

Learn more about ron

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:05 pm
Thanked: 2 times

by medea66 » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:40 pm
Ron,

Is it then safe to say that if the slope of a side is greater than another side, then the side with the greater slope is longer?

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2621
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:17 am
Location: Montreal
Thanked: 1090 times
Followed by:355 members
GMAT Score:780

by Ian Stewart » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:51 pm
lunarpower wrote: (2)
consider two cases in which this happens: say, x = 40 and y = 60, and then x = 60 and y = 40.
I'm sure Ron meant- say x=40 and y=50 (not 60), and then, say x = 50 and y = 40 (since x+y = 90). The analysis is perfect otherwise. For statement 1), you could imagine the line segments PQ and SR to be ladders, and make it a real-world problem: of course, if y is smaller than x, then SR should be longer than PQ.
For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com

ianstewartgmat.com